Demand for Kelowna Self Storage Rises with Real Estate Boom

Finding a home in the Central Okanagan that ticks all of the boxes has become more challenging this summer. The recent surge in real estate demand, compounded by extremely low rental vacancy rates, is causing more residents to turn to Kelowna self storage as they transition to their new properties. And one local storage company has expanded its services to accommodate them.

The lower-than-normal property inventory, coupled with rising asking prices, is forcing some homebuyers to make offers on houses that might be smaller than they prefer. As a result, they're looking at alternate solutions to meet their storage needs.

To help keep up with the demand for offsite storage, Space Centre Storage recently converted one of its existing buildings to offer more than 100 new Kelowna self storage lockers of various dimensions. The sizes of the units range from 5x5 feet, all the way up to 10x25 feet.

Yvonne Rogers, Operations Manager at Space Centre Storage, says the expansion has added to the 300,000+ square feet available for self-storage.

"We were at capacity, but we can definitely serve the demand now," says Rogers. "The demand for lockers of every size has really gone up in the last six months. We've been really efficient in addressing people's needs right away, as opposed to putting them on waitlists."

Rogers agrees that the upswing in the real estate market has caused both renters and buyers to seek alternative storage solutions.

"There's just a limited amount of residential space to rent," she says. "They're having to either rent furnished spaces, settle for something smaller, or use self storage whilst transitioning between houses. The housing market is really moving fast."

The new storage lockers at Space Centre Storage are designed to provide the ultimate in convenience for clients. All of the units offer drive-up access and they're also climate controlled.

"It makes unloading out of the elements possible. You're not standing out in the rain unloading your stuff," says Rogers.

She notes that professional moving companies prefer the drive-up format, which makes it "easier, quicker and ultimately more cost-efficient for the consumer."